Tirana Makes Taci, Three Ex-KLA Leaders Honorary Citizens
Tirana's city council unanimously voted to make four former KLA leaders honorary citizens of the Albanian capital, less than two weeks after their first-instance verdict in The Hague.
Tirana’s city council voted unanimously on September 29 to name Hashim Taci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasnici and Redzep Selimi honorary citizens of the Albanian capital. All four were convicted in The Hague at first instance less than two weeks ago of war crimes, including crimes against Serbs and Roma in Kosovo and northern Albania.
The decision matters to Serbia for two reasons. The Specialist Chambers verdict names members of the Serb community among the targets of a joint criminal purpose, and part of the events in the case took place on Albanian soil, in Kukes and Cahan. The capital of that country is now honoring the four convicted men.
Who proposed the decision, and who voted for it?
The proposal came from Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj. Before it reached the council, the municipality’s arts and culture committee approved it and sent it on for final adoption. According to Albanian media reports carried by KoSSev, councillors from both the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition Democratic Party voted in favor. All four sources we reviewed confirm that the vote was unanimous.
The outlets disagree on which body decided: KoSSev writes about the city council, while Danas, N1 and Borba cite the Tirana City Assembly. They also differ on the day, with Danas and N1 tying the decision to “today” and Borba to “yesterday.” We treat it as adopted on the evening of September 29.
The Municipality of Tirana said the title is being awarded “in honor of their contribution and role in the history of Kosovo and in the KLA war.”
What does the justification say?
According to the text of the justification carried by Albanian and regional media, the honor is being given for a “historic contribution to the Kosovo Liberation Army and to the processes that led to Kosovo’s statehood.” The joint justification for all four reads:
“valuable contribution to the Kosovo Liberation War, its political representation and Kosovo’s path to freedom and independence, with strong support from the US and Euro-Atlantic partners,” as well as for a “special connection with Tirana and the strengthening of relations between Kosovo and Albania.”
KoSSev adds that Albanian media are also reporting individual justifications for each of the four:
- Taci: contribution to the KLA, to political representation and to Kosovo’s path to independence, with a “special connection with Tirana”
- Veseli: a justification similar to Taci’s
- Krasnici: an “early connection with Tirana, as one of the centers of political and civic support for Kosovo”
- Selimi: a connection with Tirana, “the capital that stood by Kosovo and its people during the days of war”
A wartime connection to Tirana is therefore mentioned explicitly only for Selimi. For Krasnici, the justification speaks of an early connection and of political and civic support, with no mention of the war.
What did The Hague establish on September 16?
On September 16, the Specialist Chambers found Taci, Veseli, Selimi and Krasnici guilty at first instance of war crimes. The findings cover the arbitrary detention of 385 people, cruel treatment of 49, torture of 303 and the murder of 96. They were acquitted of crimes against humanity because the Prosecution did not prove a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population.
The sentences differ: Taci and Krasnici received 25 years in prison each, Veseli 18 and Selimi 13. The case covers events from March 1998 to September 1999 at several locations in Kosovo, as well as in Kukes and Cahan in northern Albania.
According to the court, the targets of the joint criminal purpose were people seen as opponents of the KLA’s political and military goals: Kosovo Albanians associated with the LDK and FARK, people believed to be cooperating with Serbian or Yugoslav authorities, and members of minority communities, including Roma and Serbs.
The verdict is not final. The deadline for filing notices of appeal has been moved to November 27, so Tirana’s decision came at a moment when the appeal process is only now being determined.
